Chaos erupted in the heart of Abuja today as a group of hoodlums launched an attack on the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), resulting in the arrest of 19 individuals by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Joint Task Force on City Sanitation.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of Monday when the hoodlums descended upon the AMMC premises in Wuse. The catalyst for the attack was the recent demolition of a Mechanic Village in Kubwa by officials of the AMMC Department of Development Control.
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Mukhtar Galadima, the Director of the department, revealed that the attack occurred while workers were engaged in their official duties. Galadima stated, “We were having a meeting in a conference hall when we heard some noises. We decided to come and see what was happening, and I saw some people with protest placards.
The protesters, numbering 19, were apprehended for violently disrupting the peace in the area. According to Galadima, the protest centered around the demolition of the Kubwa Mechanic Village, where shop owners claimed to have had their businesses razed without adequate evidence of property allocations.
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Galadima emphasized that the sponsors of the protest had constructed the so-called mechanic village on someone else’s property. He justified the demolition, citing not only the illegal occupation but also complaints of encroachment by rightful property owners.
Describing the protest as “simply thuggery,” Galadima announced the department’s intention to recommend the prosecution of the culprits.
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He added, “This is a breach of peace, and they should be prosecuted. We are also going to find out who among our officers gave out the area for the development of a mechanic village. The officers involved must be dealt with accordingly.”
Dr. Peter Olumuji, the Secretary of FCTA’s Command and Control, disclosed that the Joint Task Force was on enforcement duty when they received a distress call from the development control unit regarding the protest. Olumuji stated, “We abandoned what we were doing and dashed to the scene immediately, and on getting here, we saw the protesters attempting to vandalize the premises, vehicles, and assault development control officers.”
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The 19 arrested individuals will undergo a thorough investigation and potential prosecution at the Utako Police Division. The incident underscores the challenges faced by authorities in managing land use disputes and enforcing city development regulations.
